Veteran Freddy Garcia is an option to make Monday's start for Orioles in Seattle

OAKLAND, Calif -- The Orioles haven't named a starter for Monday's game in Seattle, and one possibility is 36-year-old veteran Freddy Garcia, who is 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Norfolk.

When Garcia signed, he agreed to make five starts before a decision regarding his future had to be made. Tuesday, he lasted eight innings, gave up four hits and a run and struck out four. His fastball velocity was in the high 80s.

“Freddy had a good outing last outing. As Ron Johnson our Triple-A manager put it so well, Freddy was Freddy,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “He had a good outing down there and he is part of our depth and part of our pitching pool.”

Garcia is not on the 40-man roster, but that is not expected to be an issue if the organization decides he is the best candidate for Monday’s start.

“If we feel like he is the best guy when we need a starting pitcher, then we’ll take him,” Showalter said. “If we feel like we have a better option, we won’t. I like our five starters, really six starters, in Triple-A to provide things we need like with Zach [Britton].”

Rookie lefty T.J. McFarland is probably the only pitcher on the 25-man roster who is a candidate for Monday’s start, but the Orioles like him in the lower-pressured long reliever role that he is currently filling.

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